The Best Possible Outcome

Chapters

Chapter 2: The Big One
Chapter 3: A Sparkle Family Hearth's Warming
Chapter 1: Change For the Better

Chapter 2: The Big One

Chapter 2

“Happiness, like a great number of things involving the psyche, is subjective. We all share the same base wants and desires, but beyond those, the ‘perfect’ scenario is impossible to define. I’ve encountered instances where two nigh-identical mental constructs are a dream for one pony, but a nightmare for another. What it comes down to is something my mother was fond of saying: ‘It’s up to each of us to figure out what makes us happy."

- Princess Luna, Trials and Tribulations Through the Dreamscape, Chapter 9

Velvet awoke to a warmth in her nethers.

The hospital room was dark, although it only looked dim to her eyes. She could hear Night’s deep breathing from the extra large cot on the floor, the plain white of his blankets looking oddly bright. She couldn’t quite make out the clock, but the window outside was black, not a single shred of light leaking in from the curtains.

Velvet sat up with ease. She reached for the water at her bedside... only to stop dead at the lightness and hollow feeling in her—

Oh, right. Birth.

How many foals did that make now? Twenty-three? No, twenty-five with Twilight and Shining. Twenty-five beautiful children, all thanks to her beloved Nighty. It’d been twins this time, identical boys they’d named Zenith and Zander. Their coats were scarlet with three-toned manes of grey, purple, and blue, and their eyes were a brilliant gold like Night’s. They’d been born fifteen hours apart (meaning for the first time, Velvet had needed another dose of Celestia’s labor spell) but once the all-clear was given, the newborns were taken to the ward while Mommy and Daddy got some rest.

Velvet smiled up at the ceiling. They should probably look into a second addition to the house. The first addition had tacked on fifteen extra bedrooms, but almost half of those were being used already. Perhaps they’d build up this time rather than out, turn the place into a full-on castle. They were royalty by proxy, after all…

A sudden grunt drew her attention back to Night. His outline was quite apparent through his white blanket like a marble sculpture. He’d grown over the years thanks to Celestia’s special ritual, going from an averaged-sized stallion to a well-built goliath. His sleek frame was like a mustang’s, with powerful shoulders, a broad chest, a straight back, a delightfully firm rump, and chiseled legs that could gallop for days. He’d let his coat grow out at her request, not going full-on shaggy, but just enough to be snuggleable. It was the first time he’d had a chest tuft and unshorn fetlocks.

Velvet licked her lips. Her sweet Nighty, her kind, adoring husband. Her steadfast companion, her best friend in the world… and a handsome, sexy, strong, hunky, virile hunk of a stallion. The ritual had given him the highest sperm count of any stallion in centuries, his seed now so potent it could override any contraceptive. He could get hard in an instant and spread her wide, rutting her tirelessly for hours and hours, breeding her over, and over, and OVER—

Velvet put a hoof to her head. Her crotch was throbbing, a clenching, gnawing forming in her core. Celestia’s labor spell wouldn’t wear off for a few more hours yet, but it’d already restored her marehood to its tight and pliable self, silky smooth and winking, dripping—

“Wh-What…” Velvet flinched from another wave of need. The sensations were rising fast, a dull haze settling over her still-floaty mind, her skin itching beneath her sweaty coat. Her cloying scent was starting to fill the room, emanating from every pore of her body like a perfume. “Nnnnggh… How? Th-This isn’t supposed to...”

Her sensitive nose twitched. Night’s wonderful scent was becoming ever-more noticeable, so dry and heady and incredibly male. Her eyelid twitched upon spying the bulge of his fully erect cock... then the rest of her twitched upon seeing his pre had soaked through the blanket. His softball-sized nuts were filled to the brim, growing more virile by the day and so-very capable...

Velvet was out of bed before she even realized. She crept over to Night with an odd glint in her eye, almost tasting his potency. His mouth hung open as he took slow, measured breaths, his chest rising and falling, his long tail pooled on the floor behind him. Velvet was so wet there were two trails of honey sneaking down her legs, yet for some reason she was content to watch Night sleep for a bit, her nostrils flaring with his scent.

Velvet climbed onto the cot to stand over Night. She admired him for a time before leaning down and planting a warm kiss on the side of his mouth.

“Mmm…” Night searched for Velvet beside him, only for his hoof to CLANK against the metal stand. “Ow! H-Huh? Vel…?”

Velvet kissed him again, soft and warm. With a flash of her horn, she slid the blankets off to let his pride bounce free.

It was hard to say how awake Night was. But awake or not, his lips were certainly happy to meet hers, making no protest as Velvet rolled him on his back for a proper kiss. Slow and sluggish, he opened his eyes to see her dark shape looming over him like a horny shadow, and Velvet took that as a sign to kiss deeper, blasting his mouth with hot, wet air.

Night welcomed her affections. More importantly, however, was that his groggy mind registered the smell in the air. Perhaps he thought he was still dreaming, but the notion of Velvet immediately being in heat again made him moan. He matched her fervor point for point to explore her mouth, dry humping the air and flicking pre onto her barrel. He welcomed her magic gripping his shaft, aligning his fat, leaky cock with her soaked lips. They both shuddered when his tip grazed her entrance, although Night figured they’d do what they usually did, as Velvet liked to tease him before sinking down bit by bit—

Velvet sat down on his lap.

NOW Night was awake. Velvet’s hefty breasts and cushy rear landed on him with a fleshy smack, his chest squirted with milk as the cot squeaked and groaned. Night’s hooves flew to Velvet’s wide hips as she threw her head back in a soundless moan, synapses firing and horn sparking, drunk on a cocktail of hormones, painkillers, and spells. She squeezed Night’s stallionhood like a vice, and Night growled like a dragon before lifting her with ease and SLAMMING her back down.

Velvet’s eyes rolled back. Every fiber in her body was singing, Night’s deep, powerful thrusts claiming her to the core. He had that wildness about him, his teeth bared in a snarl, his neck corded and tight, his muscles pumping and flexing, horn alight and pulsing like a second heart. How many foals would he put in her this time? Their record was four, but Velvet knew they could do better. Yes, far, far better... BIGGER...

The sharp slaps and slick schlicks became a primal duet of desire. Night and Velvet lost themselves in the steady beat, thoughts filled with their growing family, their sweaty bodies entwined and racing to their first peak. Night was winning—he felt that familiar spring coiling with every thrust, his nuts churning with so much cum, all of it for his beloved Velvet. He kept right on going until his legs tingled and locked up, welcoming the internal rush surging through his loins with nothing held back. He felt it travelling up his shaft and into Velvet, no warning needed as he flooded her with load after load, Velvet biting her hoof as she strained to hold it all.

She knew she was pregnant again. She didn’t need a test to confirm it, she knew. Night was still cumming, his seed seeping out of her like a lava flow, each wave more robust than the last! She screamed into her hoof as she peaked as well, her thirsty walls spasming around the geyser inside her, womb full once more.

Night petered out eventually, but that was far from the end. He stayed hard as a rock while staring into Velvet’s eyes, and within seconds he was rutting her passionate as ever. Velvet helped this time, bearing down and moving up and down in time with his thrusts, and as a result they peaked even faster. Their crotches were soaked now, their matted coats sticky in the best way, and the lewd sound of their lovemaking would’ve made a statue blush. A second round of orgasms became a third, and a third became a fourth, a fifth and six followed, and still they would’ve kept going…

...had the overnight nurse not walked in.

“EEP!” The smell of estrus and sex hit the poor mare like a brick wall. Her face turned fiery red upon spying Velvet and Night, cot ruined, the floor around them shiny and slick, their warm, sweaty bodies like two heaters in a sauna.

Velvet and Night froze mid-thrust, panting and still joined... until at last, they looked over at the newcomer.

“H-Hey!” Velvet managed. “Say, uh... d’you think I could schedule a first trimester ultrasound a couple months out?”

***

“I’ve fixed the anomaly in the spell matrix,” Luna said to Velvet. “We thought we’d accounted for such provisions, but regardless. If you ever need two doses of Tia’s Labor spell again in future deliveries, you shouldn’t be put into an enhanced estrus.”

Velvet’s manor was cozy, as always. The sounds of children could be heard above as the Velvet and Luna sat together in one of the nurseries, each of them holding one of the seven week-old twins. Zenith and Zander had just finished their bottles and were freshly changed, now looking ready to zonk out for a good nap.

Velvet smiled down at Zander in the sling she wore. “What if we want me to be in enhanced estrus?”

Luna laughed. “I suppose I could modify the spell to make it a chance of occurring. Such things normally shouldn’t be possible, but as we’ve seen these past years, you’ve taken to Master Starswirl’s spellcraft quite well. It still floors me how effectively you’ve utilized it—I can’t even fathom the task of caring for so many children otherwise.”

Velvet grinned. She turned to show Luna her profile, showing off her slightly-rounded belly for the first time. “With more on the way, too.”

Luna squee’d. “Do you know how many yet?”

Velvet giggled as Zander let out a mighty yawn, soon mimicked by his brother in Luna’s arms. “They managed to get me in for that new top-of-the-line magic scan. Let’s just say a certain aspect of your ritual’s likely to kick in soon.”

Luna’s eyes went wide with a smile to match.

“But Nighty are going to keep the exact count a secret.” Velvet jabbed her hoof at Luna. “That means no dream-peeking, missy. You wait and see like everypony else.”

“Twilight Velvet! You wound me!” Luna said, putting a hoof over her chest. “I’m the Guardian of Dreams, not the Mistress of Snooping! Surely you don’t think I’d stoop to such a thing.”

Velvet raised an eyebrow.

“...Fine, fine, I won’t peek,” Luna pouted. “And you needn’t worry about young Fae, of course—
her moral compass is quite sound. Sounder than some adults I command, even.”

Velvet nodded. “I overheard you talking about her with Night. Her lessons are going well, I take it?”

And just like that, Luna’s face lit right back up. “She’s one of the brightest and most talented dreamwalkers I’ve ever seen! She has a passion for learning, a respect for tradition, and her affinity for breezie magic rivals my own! Just yesterday I asked her if she’s heard of the Unseelie Court, and she told me she’s met them! She learned how to sidestep into their realm all by herself!”

Velvet snorted. “Showed you her little vanishing trick, did she? She did it in her sleep the first time it happened. Imagine our surprise when we got a message from Celestia at the crack of dawn, saying someone named Seabreeze had brought Fae to Twily’s castle.”

Luna rested her hoof on Velvet’s shoulder. “She truly is marvelous, Velvet. She wouldn’t be the pony she is without you and Night. When we use her memories for dreamwalking practice, I see just how much you both mean to her. And it’s not just her—when I watch your other children’s dreams, Mother and Father are always watching over them, caring, guiding, giving. Their hearts and minds are filled with love for you.”

A warm glow rose in Velvet’s chest. She kissed Zander atop his brow, who shifted with a faint coo.

Luna floated Zenith back to Velvet and wrapped him in the other half of the sling. “You and Night thrive on being parents. I’ve never seen a couple derive such energy and enjoyment from foalrearing, but here you are. The spells and wealth we’ve provided are all merely supplements—tools to let you do what you love. They’d mean nothing if you and Night couldn’t tie it all together.”

A smile tugged at Velvet’s lips. “Thank you, but butter me up all you like—I’m still not telling you the new baby count.”

Luna stamped her hoof. “Blast!”

***

“Mmmm...” Velvet took another big bite of diced cucumbers. “Sho goooood…”

Night snickered. He offered her the last slices in his magic, the last of an enormous bowl that’d been filled to the brim a short while ago. “Is this the new craving food?”

Velvet snapped up the slices with the quietest of moans. Her eyes fluttered closed from the crunchy taste, her teeth sinking into the chewy goodness.

Night glanced at the clock. It was a little past midnight, which had become the norm for these hunger pang. It’d become so regular that the kitchen staff had brought food to their bedroom within minutes. “You went through all that pretty quick. Quicker than normal, even.”

Velvet lifted up the empty bowl, then checked the cart of empty dishes at their bedside. “Is there any more?”

Night rubbed Velvet’s tremendous belly in slow circles, his shaggy fetlocks caressing her itchy skin. Only four and a half months along, and she was larger than when full-term with the quadruplets! “All that food, and you still want more?”

Velvet purred at his soft touch. “Hey, the babies not the only ones growing…”

Night nuzzled her. “Good thing Celestia and Luna thought to add that into their little ritual, eh? I hope you know, you’re gonna wind up being bigger than me. And not by a little bit.”

“Nnnggh…” Velvet arched her back, her exercise ball-sized paunch lifting high in the air. Her tail swished back and forth like a cat about to pounce. “N-Nighty, I think… I think I know what I w-want…”

Night furrowed his brow. “To eat?”

Velvet swallowed hard. “We don’t even need to call the kitchen…” She focused her magic on his sheath, massaging him in long, lazy strokes.

“A-Ah…” Night rubbed her gut a little harder. His breath quickened, his girth emerging with every beat of his heart, the wide veins pulsing and inflating. “I th-thought you said I was t-too big now…”

Velvet’s hoof snuck south to help coax out Night’s mammoth cock. She pulled him into a sudden kiss, softly biting his lower lip and crossing their horns together, the buzz of their joined magic making their heads swim.

Night shuddered. He pulled her close as their tongues met, twisting and moving in a frenetic dance. They pushed back and forth until Velvet yanked herself away, face flushed, eyes wild, and very aware of the oozing pillar along her side. Her mouth watered upon feeling his burgeoning nuts swell against her flank, so she guided him to lay across the head of the bed while she scooched down diagonal.

Velvet ogled the prize before her. True, Night was quite big now, but she didn’t care. He was leaking more pre than most stallions came, and his musk made her stomach rumble like thunder. She wasted little time in lapping up everything, her soft, wet tongue making Night go rigid. She then licked down to his base to nuzzle and kiss his precious balls, relishing the thought of how many future foals they’d give her. At last she licked and kissed her way all the way back up his towering cock, and after swirling her tongue around his flat tip…

“Vel…” Night breathed her name like a last gasp. Her mouth was even tighter than her pussy, a deep, lewd groan escaping him as her jaw creaked around him. She grabbed his ass for leverage—groping and pulling, all so she could swallow more. He had to fight not to pump his hips on her trip down, taking in more and more of his dark blue dick, pausing every few seconds to suck hard.

Velvet deepthroated him and kept right on going to his thick medial ring, but once there, her muzzle refused to widen even a tiny bit more. She might’ve conceded defeat there, but suddenly, Velvet’s gut growled like an ursa major, gnawing and gurgling even after so much food. In an instant she’d shoved herself over Night’s ring, his tip popping into her throat and sliding down, down, down, all the way until her snout was buried in his crotch.

“AH~!” Night’s voice cracked. He threw his head back to poke a hole in the headboard, Velvet yanking him forward and devouring his entire length. She started gulping around him, her throat squeezing with a wet glk… glk… glk, so tight and warm Night was erupting like a volcano in seconds! His bloated nuts pumped everything they had into her gullet, not a single drop going to waste in her quest to milk him for all he was worth. Her stomach may as well have been bottomless, for even when Night’s prolonged peak ebbed she wanted more, only relenting when she had to come up for air.

“Greh… zeh…” Velvet rubbed her tender jaw. “To answer… your question, dear… the cucumbers weren’t... a craving. I was just hungry... that’s all…”

Night barely heard. He couldn’t hear much of anything thanks to the fireworks going off in his head. He wasn’t even aware his horn was stuck.

“But THAT...” Velvet grinned like a wolf at Night’s enduring boner, his balls already refilled. “Might be a craving...”

***

“My, aren’t you an interesting pair.” Discord circled around Night and Velvet like a great serpent. “Such wonderful chaos surrounds you, yet you keep it all in harmony like the eye of a storm! Just who are you?”

The Grand Galloping Gala was the same as it ever was. Stuffy nobles in fancy clothes, classical songs you couldn’t really dance to, tables of hors d’oeuvres that don’t actually fill you up, an absurdly-long line to meet one of the princesses, and more gossip than most ever want to hear in their lifetime. It wasn’t something Velvet and Night had concerned themselves with for a long time, but now they came every year as guests of honor.

“I’m Night Light,” said Night. “This is my wife, Twilight Velvet. Our daughter Twilight Sparkle has told us a lot about you, Discord.”

“Particularly how much mischief you tend to cause,” Velvet said, frowning.

Discord’s eyes lit up. “So you’re the duo I have to thank for Princess Stick-In-The-Mud! I suppose my antics would seem like mischief from her perspective, but really, how’s Team Friendship supposed to stop the next world-ending disaster if someone doesn’t keep them sharp? I’m just doing my part to help.”

Velvet squinted at him. “There’s a difference between helping, and antagonizing.”

Discord blew a raspberry. “Maybe in your book.”

“We know you have a different way of doing things,” Night cut in. “We don’t fully understand them, but we do know you helped rescue everyone when they were foalnapped by the changelings. We’re glad to have you on our side.”

Discord regarded him in silence for several seconds. “...Yes, well, maybe spread the word around and have others toss me some gratitude, and I might be inclined to stay on your side. A few thank yous go a long way, you know.”

Night chuckled. “We’ll see what we can do.”

Discord stopped circling to float before them like some mismatched noodle, his neon-colored suit shifting colors all on its own. The rest of the party gave him a wide berth as he reached in his breast pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, which folded itself into an apple.

“Congratulations on your newest impending arrivals,” he said, gesturing to Velvet. “I must say, your family has some of the strongest souls I’ve ever seen in mortals, and that brood is no exception. I’m not surprised Sunbutt and Moonbutt proposed such a deal with you.”

Some might’ve been offended at having one’s children being referred to as a ‘brood’, but considering Velvet’s size, it was hard to argue otherwise. At eight and a half months along, her womb was like an overfilled beanbag chair larger than Celestia herself! She was equally wide, as well, and the ritual had grown her into a towering giant to be able to carry them all. Her legs were like muscular tree trunks, her head was the size of a cart, her mane and tail silky-smooth waterfalls of luscious hair, her milky breasts were each the size of a pony, and her coat was so soft and thick you could literally sink your hoof into it. The warmth in her face and eyes could instantly put anyone at ease, and when she smiled, it was like she lit up the space around her.

Night nuzzled Velvet’s side. “Taking that deal was the best thing we’ve ever done.”

Velvet smiled, noting Night’s head only came up to her chest. “Agreed.”

Discord took a bite of the paper apple, which they saw was filled with potato salad. “I’ve heard through the grapevine your children have been showing off a wide array of magical affinities. I’m sure you’ve got teachers chomping at the bit to teach them, but I wonder, what would you do if one had an affinity more… uncommon?”

Velvet and Night froze.

“What are you saying?” Night asked.

Discord’s red eyes gleamed. “I did say I can sense chaos. I do cause a fair share of it, but sometimes, ever-so-rarely, a pony comes along with a knack for it all on their own. Just because you ponies are all about harmony doesn’t mean you don’t get a few outliers.”

Velvet wasn’t sure whether to be terrified or fascinated. “Is one of our…”

Discord smirked. He reached in his suit pocket and gave them a business card, which was actually a chunk of lead with letters of stained glass.

“I’ll waive the usual tuition fee,” he said. “But only this once! I’m charging you full price if this happens again.”

Night accepted the business card, staring at the intricate lettering like it might leap off and bite him.

“Send the tyke my way when you feel they’re ready.” Discord snapped his fingers, a zipper appearing which he pulled down to create a tear in reality. “Though do try not to make it a Sunday—that’s Ogres and Oubliettes night. Ta-ta!”

He tossed Velvet a wink, then stepped through the portal and zipped it back up like he was never there.

Velvet and Night stood in silence for almost a full minute, the card still floating in Night’s magic.

“What... just happened?” Night said.

Velvet ran a hoof down her face. “I wish I could have a drink.”

***

“Yes, like that!” the photographer said. “Just a few more poses, and we’ll be good to go!”

It’d been a small blessing that almost all of Velvet’s labor windows had been short. The doctors weren’t really sure what amount of time to assign her pregnancies anymore, but fortunately, unless the doctors used magic to extend things, Velvet’s water had typically broken between one to four weeks after full term. Her longest unaltered pregnancy before this had been Remedy’s at thirteen and half months, but that record had been broken... and then some.

Velvet gave her belly an idle rub while the photographer moved the camera to another spot. “Just tell me where you want me.”

“You’re fine right there!” the photographer called. She fiddled with her tripod to try and get it to stand even in the ground. “The waterfall’s still in the shot from here, so it’ll look really nice!”

“Is Vel the farthest along mare you’ve taken photos of?” Night asked from the shade of a tree. “I have to imagine she is.”

The photographer giggled. “I’ve done shoots of mares fifteen months pregnant, but never sixteen! This is a first for me in a lot of ways.”

Velvet snorted. “I wonder what those other ways could be.”

Some pregnant mares like to say they’re the size of a house, but when Velvet said it, it wasn’t an exaggeration. She’d literally grown to two stories tall to support her massive womb, her colossal silvery belly grazing the ground when she stood. She’d just kept growing and growing and growing as the months had dragged on without her water breaking, her full-sized babies not quite ready to be born, making her larger and larger so she could carry them. They’d had to schedule the photoshoot in Whitetail Wood because of it.

“I wonder why we never tried a maternity photoshoot in the past,” Night said, mostly to himself. “These are gonna look great!”

“You want to be in a couple shots with her, big guy?” the photographer yelled up at the equally-humongous Night. “It’s cute when the daddy’s along!”

Night looked to Velvet. “Want me to?”

Velvet shrugged. “So long as you don’t mind photos of you as a giant.”

“Why would I mind?” Night trotted over, his massive steps causing the ground to shake. “If I minded, I wouldn’t have had Luna cast a growth spell on me in the first place.’”

Velvet rolled her eyes. “You did it so we could still have sex and you know it.”

Night nuzzled her. “Not just that. I wanted to share this special experience with you! Something we can both look back on and treasure once we get changed back.”

“D’aww…”

They took pictures together in various poses for a while, the photographer directing them as best as one could direct a pair of twenty foot-tall ponies. One photo was of them with Velvet’s belly in between them, another was of him kissing her barrel, one was of them cuddling, and so on. The shots always involved the two of them touching or being intimate in some way, and it wasn’t long before their touches were lingering on each other, stroking and teasing in small, but increasing ways.

“Alright!” the photographer looked over the photos she’d gathered. “Let’s see, what else? Oh, I know! How about a shot of you two kissing? That’s always really sweet.”

Night and Velvet didn’t need to be told twice. They turned and locked lips immediately, but as the seconds dragged on, the kiss showed no sign of stopping. Instead it was deepening, Velvet and Night fondling and groping each other, the ground vibrating as their movements picked up.

Neither of them paid attention to the faint click-clicks of the photographer capturing the ‘natural moment’. Perhaps it was the setting, perhaps it was proximity, perhaps it was any number of things, but in that moment, a certain something took hold of Velvet and Night in equal measure, and the world faded out around them as they made out with rising fervor.

“That’s good, guys!” the petite photographer said to them. “I think I’ve got all I need.”

Velvet and Night ignored her, their tongues now mingling and tasting each other. Night humped the air as his stallionhood emerged from its sheath, Velvet moaning as her tail flagged.

“Erm…” a blush crept up on the photographer’s face. “Well, then. I’mma just… uh, yeah. We can talk about billing later…”

Neither of them noticed her leave. It was like a wildfire had been ignited in their cores, and the only thing that could quench it was raw, unbridled passion. Night cradled Velvet’s head in his hooves as he kissed her, massaging her temples with his fluffy fetlocks and making her sigh. The growth spell had made him equal height as her when cast, but now she was a foot and a half taller, meaning she had to bend down for him a good ways.

Velvet could feel their foals shifting and kicking in their sleep. There was always a few of them awake at all times, and the constant shuffling and wiggling made her feel all fuzzy and warm. She still couldn’t believe how many she was pregnant with, how many precious foals Night had given her! Thirty-three big and healthy babies, all of them safe and warm inside her, and soon she’d be able to meet them, hold them, care for them and watch them grow. Her breasts had absolutely ballooned with milk to feed them all, now so large that even at Velvet immense size, her bra was grazing the ground!

Velvet broke their kiss with a breathy sigh. “Mount me.”

Night rumbled like an earthquake. He kissed her again before his kisses trailed to her neck—

“No foreplay!” Velvet said in a stilted voice. “Just mount me!”

Night sniggered. He left her neck alone, but he still kissed and licked her sensitive paunch while walking around her. She growled at him, but his feathery lips and soft, wet tongue felt too good to protest proper. Her belly was so big she could only bend down a smidgen for him, but upon feeling Night’s hooves grope her cutie marks, she didn’t really care.

Night admired Velvet’s plush rump and dripping marehood with a wolf-like grin. Her breasts were beyond immense now, so large it made it difficult for her to walk and already damp from her honey trickling down. Velvet’s great tail was already pushed up and to the side, so he reared and shimmied atop her, his hooves leaving the ground as he caressed her back and foal-filled belly.

Velvet straightened up as soon as he was on. Night was heavy, but it was a good kind of heavy, his great weight wrapping around her like a muscular blanket. He rubbed her belly with all four of his hooves as he used magic to align their sexes, and within seconds he was inside her, filling her up fuller than ever.

“Nightyyyyyyyyy…” Velvet’s voice was a low croon. He was helpless to him pleasuring her, his pony-sized balls sliding closer and closer to her padded rear. He wasn’t teasing her anymore, he was straight up humping her with powerful thrusts, his cock claiming more and more of her cavernous tunnel.

“I certainly… nnnf... knocked you up good,” Night grunted between heavy breaths. “Can’t wait… mmmhh… to do it again…”

Velvet’s legs quivered. “Gonna be hard… to break this record…”

“Something to shoot for—AH~” Night found himself hilted as Velvet sucked himself in the rest of the way. “Gods, Vel…”

Velvet arched her neck. “Fifty-eight kids, Nighty… We have fifty-eight wonderful kids…”

Night buried his face in her lavender-smelling mane. “Not a bad start.”

Velvet’s eyes rolled back. Soon these foals would be born, their smiling faces and innocent eyes looking up at them. All of them were the product of her and Nighty’s love, and in a few months they’d do it all over again, Night’s virile seed flooding her and impregnating her once more.

Velvet turned her head and caught Night in a fierce kiss. The future certainly looked bright, indeed...

Chapter 3: A Sparkle Family Hearth's Warming

The Best Possible Outcome

Chapter 3

“You ponies and your silly obsession with absolutes. Even with you knowing of the existence of other realities, you still don’t realize the implications of infinity! Waaaah, everything has to have rules, everything has to be part some kind of system! Sure, that might be how this dimension works, but once you step out into the great infinite yonder, you start to understand just how wrong that concept is.”

Discord, Interview with a Draconequus, Chapter π

Thirty Years Later -

Velvet never could get used to the first time waking up after giving birth. Even now, the first time feeling that cold emptiness inside her after months of warmth and fullness snapped her awake without fail. It was the feeling of something missing that proved the tipping point, causing her sit up with a gasp—

“Here.” Night handed her a mug of her favorite tea. “I already added honey.”

Velvet blinked. She took the mug on autopilot, the dregs of sleep fading under the aroma of vanilla chamomile. Little by little the details floated into her mind: They were in their personal room in Canterlot Hospital. They were in their special size-adjusting bed, and she’d shrunk back down now that she’d given birth to their latest children. Said children were no more than a teleport away if she wished.

“Every time, Nighty,” Velvet gulped down the tea, like liquid heaven to her parched throat. “Like clockwork.”

Night put a hoof around her. “I suppose they can’t make every part of pregnancy be pleasant.”

Velvet chuckled. “I doubt anyone thought labor and birth could feel good. I can’t even remember how many times I peaked with this set...”

“It sure sounded like a lot,” Night said, nuzzling her ear. “Especially after baby eighteen.”

Velvet leaned into his touch. “What… what was the gender breakdown?”

“Fifteen beautiful girls, eleven strong boys.” Night kissed her, long and deep. “Our second healthy set of sesvigintiplets.”

Which made a total of thirty-nine successful pregnancies. Counting these new twenty-six additions, Velvet and Night were now the proud parents of six hundred and thirty-three kids. The ‘accidental interaction’ that’d put Velvet into enhanced estrus had been permanently integrated into the other magic fused with them, and while Velvet could override it, it said a lot that hospital conceptions had been common...

“You wanna be with them for a bit?” Night asked. “We’ve got six night owls this time.”

A slow smile formed on Velvet’s face. “You never left them, did you.”

Night’s grin matched hers. “Panny’s got a cute birthmark on her chest. And, Shining Spark and Comet Trail keep yawning at the same time. It’s freaking adorable.”

Velvet squee’d. “I wanna see!”

Night chuckled. “Go on, then.”

It was second nature to Velvet at this point. She focused on the magic made a part of her, and willed her consciousness to expand. A smaller, more plain-looking double of herself appeared, then another, and another, and another, and another. She was now seeing the world through seven different sets of eyes, all giving feedback to her at the same time.

Velvet’s new avatars teleported down to the nursery to check on their new babies. The ‘original’ Velvet stayed with Night in bed, snuggling close and welcoming his familiar embrace. It’d taken her and Night some time to boost their magic enough to do this, (and a few other spells to control multiple bodies at once) but now she and Night could have as many avatars running around as they wanted.

“Most ponies think we’re crazy, you know.” She stared shamelessly at Night’s mighty package, already hard and tenting the sheets. “Having so many kids, always wanting more, falling head-over-hooves in love with every last one of them…”

Night didn’t reply at first. Velvet’s avatars in the nursery had just approached his, and each one had simultaneously repeated what she’d just said. The words echoed in his consciousness like surround sound. “Still a bit drowsy?” he said.

Velvet blinked. All seven Nights had just simultaneously repeated—oh.

“Sorry.” She expanded her consciousness further until she could handle seven different conversations at once. “I’ve got it now.”

“That’s better.” Night kissed her cheek.. “How you feeling otherwise? All healed and back to normal, I’m guessing?”

Velvet smirked. The combination of spells, rituals, and foal-rearing had continued to enhance them over the years, first from above-average to extraordinary, then extraordinary to legendary. She’d become a true alpha female, her feminine and maternal features accentuating her into a paragon. Her flawless face, perfect muzzle, and almond-shaped eyes drew attention wherever she went, and tales of her beauty had spread across Equestria. She’d grown considerably in both size and strength, and the aura of her innate magic was immense even while suppressed. Her curves were more shapely than ever, her neck and legs were proportionately longer, the latter of which sporting incredible muscle. Her thick, silvery coat was softer than heather and smoother than silk, her luxurious mane even more so, and she had a soothing air about her that could calm even the most intense emotions.

“Actually, I’m feeling kinda worn out.” She kissed Night’s addictive lips, then moved south to start in his neck. She could feel the heat of his body wafting out from under the covers, his clean, dry scent enveloping her like a shroud. “All that… mmhhh… labor, managing all my avatars... always taking care of… ahhhhh... so many without a break… maybe we should ease off the babymaking… nfffff... and catch our breath for a bit, hmm?”

And if Velvet was an alpha female, Night was an alpha male. He’d grown bigger and bigger without any end in sight, and now he was the largest stallion to ever live. His handsome face was rugged and young, with bright kind eyes, a strong chiseled jaw, a magical aura that rivaled Velvet’s, and powerful muscle from nose to tail. His long legs were tree trunks that flexed with every motion, his chest was broad and deep, and his fluffy coat and mane were luscious and shiny. His wise, fatherly air complimented Velvet’s to a T, and the love for his family was only matched by his desire to expand it further...

Night sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. He slid his hoof under the blankets to rub Velvet’s toned, flat stomach, the heavenly scent of estrus already thick in the air. His towering cock twitched, making a wet, sticky splotch on the blankets. “We’re breaking the record this time... Th-Thirty-two’s nothing… I’m gonna put fifty in you...”

Velvet flung their blankets off.

***

Four Months Later-

The Hearth’s Warming season is a strange time. Loved by many, loathed by some, and tolerated by others, the holidays in general are a whirlwind of family, festivity, and food. Velvet and Night had always loved the season regardless of what life threw at them, but while some of their traditions had changed to accommodate their growing family, the more that came home for the holidays, the happier they were.

“Is Halley still regaling you with his stealth mission?” Velvet asked Night.

Night located the discussion amidst his avatars. Like Velvet’s, his were smaller and plainer, more closely resembling how he looked before all his enhancements. “Luna’s been having him spy on the last pocket of Storm King loyalists.”

Velvet made a face. “I hope they make a move on them soon. What about Spirit Striker and Fairy Frost?”

“They’re showing me the enchantment that saved Stalliongrad from that deep freeze,” Night said. “We’re on the eleventh floor in the northwest study if you wanna see.”

Velvet sent one of her avatars there without pause.

It’s only natural Night’s and Velvet’s home would be massive to accommodate their varying stature and hundreds of children (not to mention grandchildren, great-grandchildren, any significant others). It had multiple sprawling buildings sporting dozens of floors, and its total square footage greater than Canterlot Castle and the Crystal Empire Castle combined. However, thanks to some clever time-space spells, you’d never know the estate was anything more than your typical upper class home.

Velvet snuggled closer to Night on their plush silk pillow. They were in the main entrance hall greeting everyone as they arrived, their eyes lighting up every time someone walked through the door. But they were also eating dinner, changing diapers, imparting wisdom, washing dishes, running errands, reading stories, helping with homework, having hundreds of conversations, and so much more. “Oh, Remmy and Twily going to be coming down in a few minutes to show us that new fetal scanning spell. They just want to finish dinner first.”

Night rubbed the side of Velvet’s pregnant belly. They hadn’t managed fifty, but twenty-nine was still a respectable number. “How you doing?”

Velvet smiled. She was only four months along, but the foals were so big and healthy she’d already grown two inches taller. “Are there any more of those chocolate-covered cherries? Those were really, really good.”

Night produced a new box and floated a cheery to Velvet’s mouth. She let him place it on her tongue, a quiet moan escaping her as she sucked on the sweet chocolate and tasted the gooey filling. “Oh, mercy…”

Night’s heart beat a little faster. “The babies really like those, eh?”

Velvet made a show of licking the sticky filling off her lips. “It’s a shame you don’t know a spell to make you-know-what taste like anything you want. I just can’t get enough of that sweet, sugary taste... ”

Night smirked. He studied the cherries in the box a moment, then focused and muttered some words under his breath. A second later, he felt a warm tingle in his soccer ball-sized nuts. “I need to thank Cadance again for that spellbook.”

Velvet paused. “Speaking of which, did she ever get back to you about that one spell?”

Night didn’t reply at first. His eyes drifted to Velvet’s silvery womb, already the size of a prize-winning pumpkin. “Huh? Oh, she didn’t sound optimistic it’d be the key to breaking our baby record, but she didn’t give an outright no. I guess we’ll have to see.”

Velvet traced the faint line down the middle of her barrel. No matter what they tried, the most she’d ever gotten pregnant with was thirty-two. It felt like they were missing something, but what it was… “I really with she and Shining could’ve made it this year. I wanted to see if Shining’s grown into his wings!”

Night’s eyes twinkled. “Yeah, it really is too bad. Better luck next holiday, I suppose.”

Suddenly, the huge front doors became enshrouded in baby blue magic.

Velvet’s face lit up. “Ooh! Who’s this?”

The doors opened, and an enormous crowd of assorted ponies with presents and luggage walked in. Some were adults, some were teenagers, some were children, and others were babies, but their coats, manes, and eyes all contained shades of white, pink, or blue.

Velvet’s jaw dropped. “Wh...What? B-But—”

Night nuzzled her. “Surprise.”

And at the head of the throng was Shining Armor and Cadance, wing in wing, their eyes mirthful and bright. They savored the look on Velvet’s face as they led their own enormous family, their own avatars shepherding their two hundred and forty-five kids.

“Hi, Grandpa!” called Flurry Heart.

“Hey, kiddo!” Night said.

Shining and Cadance signalled everyone to stop. They raised their wings high, then grinned and raised their voices to echo in the atrium.

“ONE! TWO! THREE!”

“HAPPY HEARTH’S WARMING!” they all shouted.

Velvet freaked.

***

Nighttime fell. The snowy grounds of the Sparkle Estate were now bathed with warm light and glinting set pieces, the largest of which being ice sculptures of zodiac beasts. The estate itself was decked out in colorful lights and giant wreaths, cozy and calm as activities wound down. It’d been a good night of visiting, eating, and catching up with everypony, but now it was time for bed.

“Nnngh…” Night lay spread eagle on his and Velvet’s custom bed. Lightning raced through him as his balls tightened over and over, lights flashing in his vision like will ‘o’ wisps. “Nnngh!”

Or at least, it was bedtime for most. Luna had performed a permanent ritual on Velvet and Night to allow them to maintain their avatars while they slept. Even now in the midst of passion, they were tucking in kids, checking on things throughout the house, having late night conversations with select older kids, and more.

Velvet tightened her lips around Night’s member. She pushed down hard and buried her muzzle in his warm crotch, swallowing load after load of his rich, cherry-flavored seed. Neither of them were sure how long they’d been at it... but that tended to happen when Velvet wore the blue evening socks with Night’s cutie mark pattern.

Pop! Velvet finally released her prize. She admired Night a moment while licking her muzzle clean, his hot, sweaty body emanating waves of cloying heat. Her hungry eyes wandered all over him… but then a shiver raced through her, as he was ogling her right back.

“More…” His gaze was drawn to her socks. They were the same color blue as his coat and mane, with dozens of little yellow moons encircling them. His hot essence pooled heavy in Velvet’s gut, yet he was harder than ever, the veins pulsing along his girthy shaft.

Velvet licked her lips. Her cravings still gnawed at her, spurred on by the dry, spicy scent of Night’s loins. And the memory of closing her lips around that warm, weighty rod was still fresh, drawing her closer and closer until his barrel-like legs loomed over. Her world zoomed in on his lower body, sculpted to shape and only becoming greater, matching her own point for point. She nuzzled his well-shaven sack and relished the smooth, stretchy skin, kissing each of the precious orbs within, his tireless balls each the size of her head—

“W-Wait,” Night said all of a sudden. “Cadance’s thing…”

Velvet paused. Her heart was pounding, her face flushed and warm, her tail flagged and raised high. She did listen, but she took her sweet time before pulling away, kissing her way back up his length and thoroughly cleaning off the tip.

Night groaned and sat up. His nose flared with Velvet’s heady scent, mixed with stale soap and sour sweat. He’d noticed a long time ago she smelled different while pregnant—tangier, sweeter. A constant reminder she was carrying his foals—

He shook his head. He forced himself to focus over on the nightstand, where two tiny spray bottles sat with red bows around them. One of them was addressed to him, the other to Velvet.

***

“‘Lover’s Flame’?” Velvet held up the bottle Cadance had just given her. “What’s this?”

Night squinted at his own bottle. It also said ‘Lover’s Flame’, although he could sense they were far more than what they seemed. “These are potions…” His horn glinted with an identification spell—

“Ah-ah!” Shining swatted him with a wing. “No peeking!”

Night raised an eyebrow. “What are you up to?”

Cadance grinned wide. “These are your Hearth’s Warming Gifts. Use them tonight before bed, okay? Promise you will!”

Night and Velvet exchanged a glance.

“I know, we promised no more secret spells,” Shining said. “But please, can’t you finally go of that? It’s been thirty years!”

“Shining…” Velvet said.

“We just want this to be a surprise,” Cadance cut in. “Please, it’ll be so much better if you use them without knowing what they do. Just spray them on like cologne or perfume, and let things go from there.”

There was a pause as Velvet and Night talked in private with their avatars.

“They’re safe?” Night asked.

Cadance and Shining nodded.

“Even while pregnant?” Velvet said.

More nods.

Night pursed his lips. He watched his little bottle revolve in his blue aura like a carousel. “Why ‘Lover’s Flame’?”

Cadance fidgeted. “I wanted to give a hint on what it does, but not totally give it away.”

“It’s like a puzzle!” said Shining. “You guys like puzzles, don’t you?”

Velvet’s immediate thought was she didn’t like THIS kind of puzzle, but held her tongue. “Alright, honey. You’re right, it has been a long time. We’ll do it.”

Cadance and Shining squee’d.

***

Night picked up the bottles and gave one to Velvet. He could feel the potion’s energy swirling within like liquid fire, but that was all. He was tempted to remove the cap so he could at least get a whiff, but that’d likely trigger the effects anyway…

Velvet caught Night’s eye. “Ready?”

Night shrugged. He angled the nozzle and sprayed his neck.

Spring. That’s what it smelled like to him. It smelled like green grass shooting up after a storm, when everything is soaked and the earth is fresh. It smelled like nature waking up after a long winter’s sleep, the spark of life jumpstarting the countryside. It smelled like playground recesses jumping in puddles, rainy college afternoons studying with the window open, quiet romantic evenings spent with Velvet, and happy nights watching his children fall asleep.

Meanwhile, Velvet’s had a sharp, fruity scent, but also… minty? It reminded her of a perfume her mother once wore, only fuller and more vibrant. It’s coiled around her like a ghostly kiss, so warm and soothing on her neck, it’s scent filling her lungs and racing through her. Old memories surged forth unbidden—the commitment to this new life, the first time she’d seen her new foals and watching them come into their own, hearing of their phenomenal accomplishments as they all did great things. She’d attended countless reward ceremonies, seen dozens of statues erected, and celebrated coronations of all kinds.

“Mmm…” Night took several deep whiffs. Memories of his own whirred though his mind, but then suddenly, the scent and effects vanished. “Huh?”

It happened to Velvet, too. She frowned and sprayed more of the potion on herself without thinking, and Night did the same. They had a few more seconds of enjoyment before the scent and effects were lost again.

The world faded out around them. They used more and more of the potion to keep the sensation fresh, never noticing how their bodies were starting to glow. All they knew was they wanted more of the effects, and so they kept going until they’d used of a fourth of the bottles… then half… three-quarters… seven-eighths...

Night blinked. Where had all the potion gone? He hoped he hadn’t spilled any of it on the bed, Cadance and Shining had been really insistent about this! He checked the sheets for wet spots, but the bed was dry. Maybe Velvet had seen—

Oh.

It was like he was seeing her for the first time. She was a living masterpiece—the full colors of her coat and mane, her bright, warm eyes, her blooming health, her blossoming womb. The memories returned in a rush, but now it was all the tender moments in the quiet, the love for the family they’d made. Their flame hadn’t dimmed these last decades—it’d only grown stronger, invigorating them more and more.

And Velvet was much experiencing the same. She began making for him like a cat stalking a mouse—her tail hiked up higher than ever. The aura of the potions was now sparking around them like wildfire, absorbing into their bodies to merge with their very essence. She drank in his features like fine wine—his herculean frame, his bulky legs lined with muscle, his bright golden eyes and kind face, all of it topped off by more magic than any unicorn alive. Six hundred plus children and counting from this one stallion, and he was just as excited as her for more...

Night nickered. He watched Velvet climb on the bed, her wide, foal-filled swell swaying, her hooves sinking into the mattress. The wild feeling was stirring inside him, pacing in its cage, yearning to claim her like so many times before. Her mere presence made him fidget like he was too small for his own skin. A tight, swirling feeling seeped his glowing nuts, his stallionhood covered in more glistening pre than ever.

Velvet crept closer until she was inches away. Night was sweating, breathing in her sharp, fruity scent. He felt like he had the energy to run laps around the entire world. She bade him lay back down, then snuggled into his iron embrace, her full, burgeoning belly nestled between them.

“Vel…” Night murmured her name like a prayer. Only four months along and already this size, but that was the power that’d been made a part of them. He never got tired of feeling her firm, round paunch expanding more and more to carry their little miracles, their latest twenty-nine all big and healthy as can be. But that wasn’t the only thing he enjoyed about her body—her delicious curves, her powerful legs, her luxurious mane and coat, her growing size, her insatiable sex drive...

Velvet purred like a kitten in Night’s arms. He smelled so fresh and crisp, like a mix of cut grass and a freshly plowed field. She could feel his tense muscles bristling and flexing as he stroked her back. She sighed and nuzzled his broad, fluffy chest, and he gave her a gentle squeeze, his hot, hard stallionhood pulsing along her underbelly. His fast, shallow breaths made her quiver, but his movements were always controlled, if barely.

Minutes passed. They could feel the potions working, making their loins ache more and more. Velvet ran her silky socks up and down Night’s back, and he made little chuffs and snorts, his hips rocking back and forth. Their nethers were drenched and desperate, but still they went slow and smooth, this new magic raising them to even greater heights. They knew something about this was far more than temporary, but what, exactly...

Velvet began planting soft, feathery kisses up Night’s chest. She trailed up to his shoulder, then the crook of his neck, then his throat, his chin. NIght didn’t think it was possible he could get any harder, but by the time she got to his soft cheek, his girthy cock had swelled longer and stouter, the wide veins pulsing in time with his heart. His burgeoning nuts were growing, their productivity rising, his potency already beyond all known limits and still climbing. He was shaking by the time their lips met, and it felt like he should’ve cum five times over, but still he hadn’t.

Velvet could feel something happening in her core. A feathery sensation, like her most intimate places being swept by a duster. A trickle of light was tumbling down inside her, and the feeling only wound her tighter, her inner flame morphing like a tiny star. She was enthralled by Night’s every action, kissing him deeper until their tongues danced, revelling in everything about them becoming greater, stronger, better!

Velvet shifted her gravid weight. Night helped without a word, their mouths pulling apart with a wet smek. They never once broke their embrace as she turned around and pressed her back to Night’s chest. Magic guided their actions below, Night angling his fat cock while Velvet spread her winking flower. They moaned in tandem at their first touch, so wet, so warm... so ready. He was gentle easing his way into her, his rigid size stretching her tiny slit bit by bit, so slow it was almost agony.

They both felt the instant the last threshold was crossed. Night sucked in a breath like a hiss as Velvet bore down on him with a stilted cry, and he wasted no time in pushing in far as he could. He put his weight behind the thrust and spread her wide, and before long she was biting back a girly squeal, her insides turning to jello.

She never could take all of him right away. She was always so tight, making it a battle just to sink up to his medial ring. Night kissed and licked Velvet’s elegant neck as he sank deeper, his slippery pre mixing with hers in a constant stream. She swore his dick was tickling the back of her throat,, but still she goaded him on, her greedy mound devouring inch after virile inch.

Night kept going in long, fluid strokes. Velvet’s sharp, fruity scent was all he could smell now, all he could taste. He licked and sucked her neck until he left hickeys, her every move and sound sending tingles down his spine. Velvet’s squeal broke free when she slurped up Night’s medial ring, and from there the dam was broke proper, her sexy sounds joined by Night’s own.

Their hips met. Normally they liked to pause at this point and make out, but Night was already thrusting with tiny jerks of his hips. Velvet’s inner muscles rippled and flexed in time, the slick, sucking sounds of her tunnel making them grip each other harder. Night’s hooves sank into Velvet’s curves and he picked up speed, from tiny jerks to glides, then glides to proper ruts. Soon he was pumping his full length in and out of her, their hips colliding with wet smacks you could set a rhythm to.

It was hard to say how long they went. It was enough that the room became steamy from their sweaty bodies, but that was all that they knew. Time had lost all meaning, all that mattered was the moment. They were still glowing white, some unknown energy coursing through them without slowing down. They were tireless machines egging each other on, harder, stronger, faster, the smack, smack, smack of Night pounding her only overshadowed by their moans.

They were relentless. Synapses and nerves fired off in them with every push, every squeeze, every movement pushing things to the next level. Night fucked Velvet over and over with powerful plunges, claiming her over and over while groping, whispering, nibbling, and kissing. His hard teeth tugged on the thin flesh of her ears. His giant hooves rubbed her heavy belly in circular motions. He pulled on her tail every other time he bottomed out inside her. He angled his hips to hit all her sweet spots at random. He was so focused he may as well have been in a lusty trance, and Velvet was all too eager to join him, her head lolled against his shoulder.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

But they did eventually peak. Velvet was first, her eyelids fluttering as she teetered on the edge. The tension mounted with every powerful thrust, a wild inferno raging in tandem with Night’s size. The waterfall of tiny lights was still tumbling down inside her, each light glowing like lively coals within a sea of ravenous flames. Then Velvet’s rear legs tingled with pins and needles, her voice cracked and muscles seized, and she was soaring high among the clouds, her silky walls spasming and milking Night for all he was worth.

Night snarled like a dragon. His backthrust proved fruitless as Velvet clamped down harder than she ever had, so sudden and fierce it made him see white. He roared and bit down on her shoulder, a rush stronger than he’d ever known surging up his cock, his tip flaring against her sealed cervix. His nuts went into overdrive as he shuddered, his muscles tensing and flexing as well, and within seconds he was erupting, a torrent of magic-infused essence flooding Velvet’s depths.

Several things happened at once. Velvet felt a bloom of warmth make contact with her innermost barrier, but instead of splattering against it, the warmth phased through like a ghost through a wall. Night’s seed seeped into Velvet’s pregnant womb like a lava plume, and when it did, one of the tiny coals within her shot forth like a magnet, colliding head-on with the essence in a mighty burst of heat.

Velvet’s eyes shot open. The itty-bitty coals were so warm she could tell when they moved! She felt the now-superheated coal flit away to embed itself in her womb’s fertile walls, wherein it started to pulse at a rapid rate, almost like it was growing—

Another bloom of warmth ghosted in. The exact same thing happened again—a coal shot forward, exploded with heat, then zipped away and dove into Velvet’s nutrient-rich lining. Now there were two superheated coals pulsing, the first was already much bigger than—

Her avatars figured it out in seconds.

“NIGHTY!” A third gush of hyper-virile seed phased into her womb, and a third coal converged. The first had a heartbeat now, the new foal developing rapidly to catch up to their four-month-old siblings. “YES!”

A fourth bloom of syrupy heat, and now she was carrying thirty-three. Their record had been broken at last, and even better, Night was only getting started. He thrust again and pumped her with a fifth wave, and now it was thirty-four. He couldn’t stop if he wanted to, and his mind was blank as he continued to cum like a geyser, impregnating Velvet over, and over, and over!

Velvet could already feel her belly expanding. The glow around grew brighter around her as her skin stretched, her heart and lungs strengthened, and so much more. Every fresh bloom of heat making it happen that much faster, the foals getting bigger and heavier by the second, each one with a cord and new cushioning fluid around them. And it wasn’t long before Velvet started growing as well to support them, her frame inching larger within Night’s tight embrace. She couldn’t tell how many little coals were waiting to become foals, but she knew she wanted to have them all… all of them and more!

Eleven new foals now. Velvet was pregnant with forty. She was the same size as Night now, and Night was still going strong. His nuts were so very full, his loins tighter than tight, and Velvet’s warm tunnel felt so very right. Every gush was a tsunami crashing over him, and he didn’t even register how Velvet was getting harder to hold, her body widening and lengthening...

More and more blooms of warmth, more and more coals meeting each one. Night was knocking her up with a new foal every second! Velvet tried to keep tabs on the number, but she lost count when her second peak hit. Everything about her was growing, their size-adjusting bed kicking in, taking up more and more of the room. She was twice Night’s size and he still hadn’t noticed!

It wasn’t until one of Velvet’s avatars informed one of his that he learned. His eyes shot open, saw it was true… and let out a roar of triumph so loud it shook the windows. She answered him with a joyous cry, andhe clutched her sides as a fresh peak hit him. His nuts seemed bottomless as he put foal after foal into her: more amazing sons, more incredible daughters!

“Yes…” Night’s eyes sparkled, grinning wide with grit teeth. “YES!”

Velvet’s eyes rolled back. Her thoughts were filled with smiling faces, a new one appearing with each bloom of warmth. She had no idea if this ability was temporary or permanent, but regardless of that, they were going to make the most of it now.

She moaned long and loud as Night kept making her a mother. Soon she was pregnant with sixty foals… then seventy… then eighty! She grew bigger and bigger and bigger, eventually taking up the whole room as her paunch swelled with one hundred foals and beyond.

They definitely needed to get Cadance and Shining something special next Hearth’s Warming...

Chapter 1: Change For the Better

The Best Possible Outcome

Chapter 1

“...therefore, if there exists an infinite amount of universes, then we must accept there are also an infinite amount of outcomes. There are no constants, no tried and true laws, no inevitabilities we’re all bound to. So to answer to your question, my little pony, a pessimist will think of all the ways things could go wrong, and an optimist will think the opposite. But because happiness is subjective, a smart pony could, theoretically, determine what series of events generates the best possible outcome.”

- Starswirl the Bearded, Special Guest Lecturer at the School of Friendship

Twilight Velvet and Night Light’s third foal was a filly.

She was a cute little unicorn with a coat the same blue as her father’s and a mane the same gold as his eyes, but everything else she took after her mama. She was born healthy and without trouble, but the doctors kept her an extra day due to the color of her eyes. They were the palest violet you’d ever seen, so pale they looked almost grey. Fortunately, the tests showed she could see fine, so after one final examination, she was allowed to be taken home.

Velvet and Night decided to call her Remedy.

Remedy was a quiet baby for the most part. She was fine so long as she knew others were around, but the second she thought she was alone, she’d scream bloody murder. It took a few months to get her over this bad habit, but once Velvet and Night got her sleeping by herself in the nursery, that seemed to be the worst of it.

Remedy stayed healthy otherwise, too. She ate well, slept well, and Velvet and Night weren’t worn out caring for her at all. In fact, tending to her re-kindled a spark Velvet and Night had forgotten, and every time they looked at their new daughter, their hearts soared that much higher.

So six months later, when Velvet’s heat was right around the bend...

“I want to try for twins,” said Velvet.

Night looked up from his newspaper. “Why-honey, this-is-so-completely-and-totally-unexpected. And-here-I-thought-that-was-all-just-dirty-talk. Did that sound convincing enough?”

Velvet sauntered up to his recliner. She climbed atop his lap and straddled him before pulling him into a tender kiss. “I already talked to Celestia and Luna. They said they could get us some fertility medicine.”

Night nuzzled Velvet’s neck. “How about that? It’s almost like they were planning on us wanting more.”

Night’s warm exhales on her throat were like gasoline on a fire. “I-I know you were on the fence about this before… are you—”

Night silenced her with a kiss of his own. He squeezed her thick rear like clay, his long cock already rising between them. Velvet moaned and kissed back with equal fervor, her lips hungry for his—

“W-Wait,” Night suddenly said. “If we really are gonna try for twins, we should probably go get those drugs. I can already smell the heat on you...”

Velvet whined. Her nethers had felt empty all day, that familiar hunger becoming more and more incessant. “Errrrrrrgh… what time is it?”

Night glanced at the clock. “Ten-thirty.”

Velvet looked out the dark windows, the lights of Canterlot Castle twinkling in the moonlight. “Luna’s holding court right now. I could probably...”

Night didn’t even need to think. “Go. I’ll stay with Remmy.”

Velvet pulled him into another kiss, this one deeper and laced with tiny moans before teleporting away. An instant later Night left alone in the living room, mane and coat tousled, breathing hard, staring at nothing with his stallionhood at full mast. He shuddered as it gave a twitch, a bead of pre already at its tip.

“...We’re gonna need a bigger house.”

***

“AH!” Velvet arched her back under Night’s weight. “H-HARDER! HARDER!”

Night snorted. He pulled back and buried his cock in her with a wet THWAP, working up a steady rhythm as another peak approached. He chomped on her scruff and yanked to hear her angelic song again, and soon he was pumping yet another hefty load of enhanced seed into her.

Velvet was insatiable. The medicine had ignited an inferno inside her, a burning firestorm that only Night’s seed could quench, yet as soon as he put it out, it flared right back up again just as strong. She wasn’t sure how many times already he’d cum inside her, all she knew was that her legs were locked in place, he was atop her, inside her, and—oh, he was already starting up again, his rock-hard size eager to fill her up even more!

Velvet’s eyes flicked to Remedy’s baby monitor on the nightstand. She could just picture Night’s seed taking root, new life embedding itself in her nourishing walls. They were going to need another monitor pretty soon, and if they were lucky, two...

***

The grocery store was a zoo. Velvet was convinced she was cursed to always pick the busiest times, which was why she usually let Night handle the shopping. Thank goodness Remedy didn’t mind crowds, as the last thing Velvet wanted was to be the stereotypical mother shopping with a wailing yearling. Ponies of all shapes and sizes murmured in a dull roar around them as
she waddled through the aisles, her wide, pregnant middle swaying slightly with every step.

The subtle attention was what Velvet enjoyed the most. Teenage colts sneaking peeks, stallions of all types checking her out, their gazes lingering on her huge baby belly. Yes, mares and gentlecolts, she had more than one in there, and they were both big and healthy as can be. She made sure to put extra sway in her step for them, knowing their eyes were on her heart-shaped rump and large breasts bulging within the nursing bra.

“Let’s see…” Velvet glanced through the list Night had written for her. “Pineapple, carrots, frozen peas, hay fries, shampoo, fetlock trimmers, toilet paper, cocoa butter, mouthwash, blueberries, pickles, peanut butter, cereal, beets, cabbage, ice cream, olives...”

“Mum-ma!” Remedy pointed to a display of oranges. “Num-num!”

Velvet looked where she was pointing. “Yes, you like oranges, don’t you?” She gave Remedy an eskimo kiss. “You gobble them up like candy!”

Remedy giggled. “Num-num!”

Velvet paused to let some ponies go by before putting a few oranges in a bag. She also pulled a toddler’s juice box from her saddlebag, which predictably, contained orange juice. “Here’s num-nums for you, sweetie.”

Remedy’s eyes lit up. She snatched the juice box and immediately began slurping away.

“What a little cutie!” said a passing mare. She waved to Remedy, who merely stared with bright eyes. “What’s her name?”

“Remedy,” said Velvet to the newcomer. “She’s fifteen months old.”

The mare giggled. “D’awww, I remember when my daughter was that young. Is she your first?”

“My third, actually.” Velvet patted her gravid womb, teeming with life and giving her a maternal glow. “Four and five here are due in a couple months.”

The mare gasped, though in a good way. “You’re having twins?!”

Velvet snickered. Of course she’d had to suspect—at forty-seven weeks pregnant, Velvet’s barrel looked like she’d swallowed a pair of watermelons. “A boy and a girl.”

The mare squee’d and danced in place. “I’d always wished I’d had twins! And you look so good, too! Congratulations!”

Velvet beamed. She relished the warm weight inside her, a constant fullness swirling around with a pleasant buzzing. She’d managed not to bump into anypony today, but there’d been times in the past where her billowing paunch had grazed a few passerby. Fortunately, her thick, silvery coat was like a built-in cushion. “Hubby and I are excited, too.”

Velvet continued her shopping at an easy pace. Remedy looked all about as they went, snuffling and burbling occasionally saying simple sentences. Her noise drew the positive attention of shoppers around them, and by extension Velvet, many doing double-takes upon realizing how big she was. She didn’t mind, of course—a pregnant mare in their last trimester with twins did tend to draw attention.

Velvet was passing the baby aisle when she felt one of the twins kick. She and Night had already stocked up on plenty of supplies, but if their last discussion was any indicator, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have more...

***

The twins’ names were Eventide and Morning Star. The girl was Eventide, and the boy was Morning Star. They were indeed twins, but aside from both being unicorns, they couldn’t have looked more opposite. Eventide was dark indigo with a three-toned mane of deep oranges and soft purples, Morning Star was pure white with a solid, rust-red mane. Eventide’s eyes were sky blue, Morning Star’s were dark green. Eventide’s features took more after Night in general, but Morning Star took more after Velvet, and so on.

“At least we’ll be able to tell them apart,” Night had said upon seeing them.

Evie and Morny, as they came to be called, were born twelve months and six days after they were conceived. Their labor window was a blissfully short three weeks this time, with Evie coming out first and Morny following minutes later. They’d been allowed to come home quickly with a clean bill of health to be greeted by the rest of the family.

Evie and Morny’s preferences were quite similar. They woke and fell asleep at the same time, liked and disliked the same foods, got sick at the same time, had similar reactions to things, and even had liked the same brand of teddy bear. They did eventually show signs of individuality, but Night and Velvet often joked that if they didn’t look so different, it’d be impossible to tell them apart.

“Did you have trouble getting them to sleep?” Velvet asked one evening as Night crawled into bed.

Night shook his head. “They zonked out soon as they hit the mattress. Those dreamcatchers are godsends.”

Velvet snuggled into him as he took his usual role of big spoon. “Mmm… you sure you wanna be the one checking in on them again tonight? You don’t have to keep doing it...”

Night kissed her ear. “You did the heavy lifting all of last year. It’s my turn to pull my weight.”

Velvet shivered. She didn’t know why, but his breathy murmurs never failed to stir the coals in her belly. It’d only been a few months since the twins were born, but Celestia’s labor spell sped up recovery time. She made sure the soundproofing spell on their room was still good.

Night kept kissing her. He moved down past her ear, travelling down her jawline and down to her neck. Velvet’s tail twitched between them, her marehood growing wet as she wiggled her plush rear. Night stroked Velvet’s sides to feel her hips… those luscious, amazing, foalbearing hips… her breaths grew shallow as he traced her pulse with his tongue, pressing her teeth to her skin—

“Let’s have another,” Velvet breathed.

Night smirked. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Velvet moaned. She pushed her rear more against him, already feeling his pride growing against her back. There was no hesitance, no doubt or fear in her mind, only the desire to grow their family.

Night hugged her tighter. He’d been smelling hints of her estrus all day, and it’d been a battle not to pounce on her. He adjusted his hips to free his cock, and the movement caused a gust of warm air to escape the covers. He caught a thick whiff of her then, the scent making him nicker low and deep, and Velvet winked against him, hard.

He was penetrating her in seconds. Her smooth walls welcomed him like an old friend as her marehood swallowed inch after delectable inch, his great size bulging her tunnel to shape. Another precious little life would soon to be added to their clan, another foal they’d love with all their heart. He wasn’t sure which of them wanted this more, but either way, they both welcomed it with open arms. Would they have a boy or a girl this time? They didn’t know which they wanted more...

Velvet couldn’t believe how fast she’d tightened back up. She could feel every millimeter of Night spreading her, his size pushing deeper no matter how hard she squeezed. He always made her so full… so very, very full, and then even fuller once he seeded her womb! She swore that amazing fullness lasted the entire time she was pregnant, and it only intensified as the months went on.

Ten minutes later, Night was cumming inside her. He was ready for round two in less than a minute, but this time he went slower, drawing things out to the breaking point and then filling her more than ever. Soon they were standing up so he could mount her, and it was here they stopped making love... and started fucking each other silly.

Night railed her as if he were in a trance. He pounded Velvet into the mattress again and again,
a lust-crazed stallion addicted to his mare’s sexy sounds. Velvet certainly made no shortage of them, yelling, groaning, whinnying, goading, screaming, even begging him not to stop. Night’s stamina never faltered, the Age spell’s side effect stronger than ever, his balls refilling to pump her full once more within seconds of shooting their load.

Now they definitely needed to see about that bigger house…

***

“How about this one?” said the contractor, showing them a floor plan and some photos. “Three floors, five bedrooms, four bathrooms. Optional amenities and luxuries can be added, of course.”

Velvet and Night looked over the blueprint. It had your typical Canterlot-style decorations like sweeping rooftops and elegant lattice work, as well as a layout of how the rooms were set up. It’d look nice on the land they’d bought.

“Only five bedrooms?” Velvet said with a frown. “That’s it?”

The contractor blinked. “Right! Silly me, I keep mixing you up with my earlier clients. Your coat colors are quite similar, heh… Give me a second…”

Velvet rested a hoof on her melon-sized belly. This contractor may have been one of the best, but was he ever a scatterbrain. She could only hope he was more organized when it came to the building.

“I should tell probably tell you,” he said while rummaging through a cabinet. “No matter what kind of house you’re looking for, it’s not going to be finished by the time your new one’s born.”

Night shrugged. “We’ll be fine for a while. Our two oldest are out of the house, and we can keep the new one in our room until the new place is built. Worst case scenario, the twins bunk with Remmy while the new one goes in the nursery.”

“But we can’t do that forever.” Velvet leaned back in her chair to the foal wasn’t pressing on her bladder. “We’ve already decided we want more after this one, and we’d like all the kids to have their own room. That means we need a large, practical house that’s easily expandable.”

The contractor snickered. “Understood. When’s your labor window start?”

Night put an arm around Velvet. “Sixteen weeks. We’re hoping it won’t be a long one, so hopefully we’re looking at five months.”

Velvet paused to take another large helping from the bowl of trail mix the contractor had offered. “This stuff’s really hitting the spot! Do you have any more?”

The contractor didn’t look up. “You can just have the box. It’s in the drawer by the window.”

Velvet magically opened the drawer and floated over the box in a whizzing blur.

Night examined the label as she ate. “LIke that stuff, eh? Guess I’ll be picking you up some of that stuff in the future.”

“Along with more quinoa!” she said between bites.

Night rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, more quinoa. With Shining you craved relish, with Twily you wanted saltines, with Remmy you wanted watermelon, with the twins it was olives, and now you’re inhaling quinoa. Pregnancy cravings make no sense.”

Velvet nuzzled him. “Loooooooooove you~”

“A-HA!” The contractor held up a rolled up blueprint. “I knew I had it in this drawer! Yes, indeed! There aren’t a lot of clients out there interested in expandable houses for growing families, but I’m the one who likes building them. Do be careful looking this blueprint over, though—it’s the original copy.”

He came over and rolled out the plans for Night and Velvet to see. They leaned forward for a good look...

The first thing about they noticed was the blueprint didn’t have the washed-out look that came from repeated use of the Copy-It spell. The crisp, fresh lines looked like they’d been drawn yesterday, the only evidence otherwise being the date in the corner. There were no photos attached, but the specs were listed as four floors, fifteen bedrooms, and twelve bathrooms. There were also three dining rooms, four dumbwaiters, three kitchens, two studies, an apothecary, a giant recreation room, and a myriad of other rooms that could be used for just about anything you could think of.

“The setup’s designed to be easily expandable, just like you’re wanting,” said the contractor, pointing to the notes in the corner. “You could add a few more rooms, another floor... or even an entire new wing! You could make this house the size of a castle!”

Night and Velvet were speechless. The longer they looked at the plans, the more and more their faces lit up. They looked to each other with open-mouthed smiles, then as one, turned back to the contractor.

“We’ll take it!”

***

Their sixth foal was born five weeks into her labor window, and amusingly, Velvet’s water broke while she was taking a shower (easy cleanup)! Aurora Fade was the name they originally wanted, but when they told it to the nurse, he misspelled it and put down ‘Aurora Fae’. Night and Velvet were going to have it fixed, but the longer they thought on it, the more they felt ‘Fae’ felt like a better fit, so they decided to keep the goof.

Fae had a plush grey coat like Velvet’s, a beautiful two-toned mane of dark, dark purples, and eyes a striking color of blue. It immediately became apparent she was a night owl, as while she slept with ease during the day, it was a battle to get her to sleep at night. Night and Velvet finally had to cave and hire a nanny so they wouldn’t be up with her all the time.

Speaking of their new house, it was finished a few months after Fae was born. The land they’d bought was farther up the mountainside in the nicer part of Canterlot, complete with a spectacular view of the castle to the west and the Canterhorn Valley to the south. The land was also big enough that they could expand the house fivefold if they really wanted, as well as add multiple floors with just as much footage.

“I like it!” said Princess Celestia upon coming to visit one day. “Plenty of space, but not decadent or excessive. I think you’ll be very happy here.”

Velvet sipped at her tea. “We like it, too. The kids are adjusting, but they’ll get there.”

Celestia glanced around the living room, which had some pictures and decorations on the walls, but still felt pretty bare. “How are they otherwise? The kids, I mean.”

Velvet set her cup down. “Fae’s eating well… but she still doesn’t sleep at night. Has the night in her blood, it seems... You can see why we wanted a bat pony for a nanny.”

Celestia’s eyes twinkled. “I hear Lulu’s already quite taken with her.”

Velvet smiled. “It’s funny. Fae’s been extremely skittish around strangers, but when Luna came by to see her, she was calm and quiet as a mouse. She didn’t even fuss when Night and I even left them alone together for a bit.”

You could almost hear the gears turning in Celestia’s head. “Is that so?”

Velvet looked to their right, where they could just hear Night reading the rest of the kids a story. “Evie and Morny are talking more, although Evie moreso than Morny. Morny’s your typical colt, more active and prefers games and toys and whatnot. It can be hard to keep him still at times… And as for Remmy, she very well may be the most mellow child I’ve ever seen. She’s not shy, but she just doesn’t make a lot of noise for whatever reason. We have to keep an eye on her when we go out because of it—she has a habit of wandering off.”

Celestia nodded. “I assume she’ll grow out of that. What about Twilight and Shining?”

Velvet laughed. “Still writing weekly. Twily’s coming up tommorrow to put new wards on the house, and Shining and Cadance are expecting foal number two in a few months. No news if it’s another alicorn like Flurry, but after their adventures with her, I think they’d prefer a normal child.”

Celestia laughed as well. “Flurry Heart’s certainly kept them occupied. It seems they were right to be concerned about having enough time to be parents.”

Velvet got an odd smile at this. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that. I’ve a feeling they’ll space their children out, but I’ve no doubt they’ll wind up with a big family. I’ve seen the looks in their eyes when they’re around our new ones.”

Celestia’s smile grew. “Speaking of which… I was going to wait until Night was done reading, but Lulu and I looked into the matter you both asked about over Hearth’s Warming.”

Velvet sat up straighter. “And?”

Celestia smoothed out a wrinkle on the couch. “It took some collaborating with some old friends, but together we devised a special ritual just for you and Night.” A scroll popped into existence at Celestia’s command. “If you really would like to try for triplets and beyond, this procedure will significantly raise your chances, as well as give both your bodies a significant boost in various ways. It’ll also make pregnancy much safer, but I should warn you—there’s a chance the ritual could merge with the Age spell. That means the effects will last as long as you choose to remain young—”

“YES!” Velvet leapt from her chair and caught Celestia in a bone-crushing hug. “Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!”

Celestia nearly had the wind knocked out of her. “Deja… vu...”

Velvet giggled like a schoolfilly into Celestia’s chest. “Can you use it on us right now? Please say you’ll use it on us right now!”

Celestia patted Velvet’s head. “In a moment, Velvet. Before that, there’s something else I want to give you, something you’ll need to manage your growing family.”

Velvet looked up at her. “Oh?”

Celestia’s horn flashed again, and a thick, ancient tome appeared upon the coffee table. It was weathered and worn with yellowed pages, and the cover was made of dark enchanted wood with metal straps. The book had no visible title, but it did have some kind of faded symbol on the front.

“Of all the things needed to raise a foal,” Celestia said. “The most important is time. Time to give attention to their development and needs, time to provide love, guidance, protection, and friendship. The time needed for just one foal is taxing, and the more foals you have, the more your time will be divided.”

Celestia floated the book up to reveal the faded symbol: a blue spiral with four stars around the edges. The aged scent of old parchment hit Velvet as the book flipped open, the Old Equuish script as crisp as when it was penned.

“You’re already enjoying the effects of one of my old teacher’s ‘forbidden’ spells,” Celestia said with a smirk, “but you’re going to need more if you want to keep down this path. What say we put aside those ridiculous cultural taboos that’ve cropped up the last millennium, and Lulu and I show you what time-space magic can really do?”

***

“So you’re Twilight’s friendship student!” Night said, shaking the pony’s hoof. “Why, it seems like just yesterday she was moving down here to Ponyville. Times certainly do change, don’t they?”

Starlight Glimmer forced herself to smile. “I guess you could say that. After all, lots of things are capable of changing... right?”

“Honey!” Velvet called from the other room. “Where’d you put Fae’s pacifier?”

“Blue bag, middle pouch!” he called back around the corner. “Heh, kids. Lots to pack, lots to prepare. Twilight did mention she had brothers and sisters, right? She’s forgotten to tell ponies that in the past.”

Starlight gulped. Speaking of forgetting to mention things, Twilight hadn’t said how tall her father was. Or how handsome, goodness… The only thing she’d mentioned was—well, let’s just say Starlight wasn’t worried about Night’s safety. “Sh-She did, yes. You have a very pow—loving, very loving daughter, sir.”

“Rawr!” Spike dashed by with Remedy on his shoulders. “The valiant heroine storms into battle on her dragon steed!”

Remedy cheered. “We’ll save you, Sir Bunnylot!”

Night cast a quick Locate-it spell on Remedy as the duo skidded around a corner. “So, Starlight, where are you from? Twily tells us this is your first Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville.”

Starlight winced. “Er… Sire’s Hollow. I wouldn’t be surprised if you hadn’t heard of it, it’s pretty—”

“Yep! I’ve been there,” Night said without pause. “My parents used to take me camping around there when I was really young. Around Lake Whinnytonka, right?”

Starlight blinked. “Wow, I’ve never met anypony that’s heard of Sire’s Hollow before. Most ponies think it’s by the Hollow Shades!”

Night shrugged. “I probably wouldn’t recognize it if I went there now. I haven’t been up there in over fifty years!”

Starlight got a dull look. “Trust me, I doubt much has changed.”

“Hey, Dad?” Twilight said, entering while carrying several pieces of luggage in her magic. “Why is one of these duffel bags filled to the brim with radishes?”

Night sighed. “Let’s just say your mother’s been getting the munchies before bed.”

“Shiniiiiing!” Cadance walked in behind Twilight with a three-and-a-half year Flurry Heart. “Ugh, did any of you see where he went? I have Skyla’s bottle!”

Flurry Heart laughed. “Daddy and baby sister are playing hide and seek!”

Night pointed to the bathroom, where he’d seen Shining take the four-month-old Skyla along with the diaper bag. “I think Skyla needed a change.”

Cadance’s eyes flicked to room in question. “Hmm... can one of you watch Flurry? If I don’t feed Skyla now, she’s not going to want to go to bed.”

Night’s horn glowed as he picked up a giggling Flurry. Cadance immediately swept over to the bathroom, where upon the door opening, they heard the faint coos of an infant.

Night deposited his granddaughter on his back. “You’re all full of energy now, sweetpea! Weren’t you all sleepy on the ride down the mountain?”

Flurry hugged his neck. “Auntie gave me some cookies!”

“I gave you fig newtons, Flurry.” Twilight came over and booped her nose. “Have you ever had figs before? Figs are a kind of fruit.”

Flurry smacked her lips. “Fig cookies!”

Starlight put a hoof behind her head. “It, uh... seems like you’re all pretty busy getting settled. I can excuse myself if need be—”

“You must be Twilight’s student!” Velvet said, walking in with a triple stroller. “I’m Twilight’s mother, Twilight Velvet. Nice to meet you!”

Starlight stared. Meeting Night had been a surprise, but Velvet was another matter altogether. She was a veritable avatar of maternity, her huge silvery barrel like a taut, fertile drum. Said barrel was wide as the doorframe while extending down to her knees, yet there was no visible redness, no stretch marks or large veins to be seen. Velvet’s thick, lustrous coat and mane were the most beautiful Starlight had ever seen, so full and healthy Velvet almost glowed, and her smile was so warm it immediately set Starlight at ease.

“Wow...” Starlight came over and shook her hoof. “Welcome to Ponyville, Mrs. Velvet! Er… it is Velvet, right? That’s what Twilight said to call you.”

Velvet’s gait was slow and steady as she turned the stroller so Fae and the twins could see. “I’ve always gone by that. Not really sure why—it’s just one of those things.”

Starlight was finding it hard to focus on Velvet’s face. Her eyes kept wanting to drift southward, to marvel at the size of Velvet’s expansive barrel, where Starlight knew four healthy foals slept safe and sound. Velvet’s legs bristled with muscle as a result of carrying such a great weight, yet even though her belly was the size of a prize-winning pumpkin, she didn’t seem worn out at all.

Butterflies fluttered in Starlight’s gut. A sudden pang throbbed in her empty womb, and a quiet voice whispered in the back of her mind, reminding her of a certain orange stallion she still wrote...

Starlight coughed and looked to the three children in the stroller. “And these must be your other kids! Let me see if I can guess who’s who… Morning Star’s the only boy, so that’s easy, Aurora Fae’s the youngest, so she’s the small one, which that means Eventide’s the one on the far right!”

Velvet raised her eyebrows. “Impressive!”

Fae, Morny, and Evie said nothing. They merely stared back at her with blank faces.

Night chuckled. “I see Twily gave you the rundown. Did she give you a full-on lecture on House Sparkle genealogy, too?”

Twilight blew a raspberry at him. “I only went back three generations, thank you very much.”

Flurry Heart saw the trio, as well. She fluttered down and scampered over to them. “Morny! Evie! Let’s go play with Remmy!”

Morny gasped. “Flurry’s awake!”

Evie looked up to Night and Velvet. “Can we?”

Night and Velvet met eyes, only to shrug.

“No magic without one of us around, okay?” said Night.

“And stay on the first floor,” Velvet added.

Quick as lightning, Morny and Evie jumped out of the stroller and zipped down the hall laughing and calling for their older sister.

Flurry turned to Fae. “You wanna play, too?”

Fae, who was holding an opossum plushie, squeezed it tighter and shook her head.

“She’s a little young, sweetpea,” said Night. “Maybe next time we get together.”

Flurry wilted, but only for a second. She gave Night one final hug before to take wing after her aunt and uncle.

Twilight pouted. “No fair. I wanted to be the one she likes best.”

Night put an arm around her. “Kids will be kids, Twily. Give her a few years.”

“Mrrrrhhh…”

Starlight pawed at the floor. “Sooooooo… how was the train ride down? Not too bumpy, I hope.”

Velvet yawned. “I honestly couldn’t tell you. We had dinner right before we left, and I ate so much I fell into a food coma as soon as we left the station.”

Night laughed. “A common side effect of eating for five. But Vel’s had other drowsy spells with this pregnancy, not all of them food-related. It’s been a pretty constant theme.“

Velvet rolled her shoulders, her great paunch just swaying with the movement. “I’ll take sleepiness over migraines and nausea anyday.”

Starlight realized she was staring again. She blushed and looked away before anyone noticed. “I-It’s pretty amazing you’re expecting quadruplets. How far along are you?”

Velvet beamed. “Forty-nine weeks. Technically my labor window starts today, but my doctor wants me to go a bit longer to make sure all four of them are ready. I’m on anti-contraction meds until then.”

Night smiled just as wide. “Buns aren’t quite done baking yet. Real soon, though.”

Starlight’s jaw dropped. She tried to form words, but all she managed was to babble and stare.

Twilight snickered. “I knew your reaction would be priceless.”

Velvet stood up straight and tall. “The worst thing I’ve had to deal with is the drowsiness, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some pregnant mares can barely sleep at all!”

Twilight rubbed her chin. “It’s too bad most alertness spells aren’t safe for pregnant mares. I suppose it’s only an issue for another month or so... and then there’ll be a much more obvious reason why you’re tired all the time, heh.”

“Oh, don’t be a spoilsport,” Night said. “It’s not like Vel and I won’t have help! The new nannies will be at home waiting for us as soon as the babies are born.”

Velvet sauntered over to Night, her warm belly brushing against him as she kissed his cheek. “I appreciate you thinking of me, Twily. It’s a little late to try and do something now, but if the same issue comes up the next time around, we’ll send you a letter.”

Somehow, Starlight’s eyes got even wider. “...N-Next time?”